Grand Impulse
by Ou-Rex
Summary: Sometimes these impulses we feel send us running into danger, other times it keeps us far from its clutches. In the end it is the mistakes we learn from that change our attitude toward a future we cannot see.


**(A/N: Final Fantasy and its everything are not mine, Plot Gerbils did it)**

~**Grand Impulse**~

Back than he was a foolish thief. Young and impulsive he sought challenges never considering what misery it could bring others. What started out as a rather bleak trip turned into a harrowing fight for not only a country but one's life. After saving a Moogle couple, who had just married under the rich sounding bells guarded of the Gizmaluke Grotto, the paused to rest. Everyone was tired and the stale air of the caverns was wearing thin the nerves of everyone was suffering along side Freya, but both pushed forward. He wondered what the Qu was even thinking as it stood off staring at the Moogles. He really hoped s/he did not eat Moogles...

Even the usually cheerful thief was starting to feel the strain of these fights. Everyone behind them was dying and there was nothing they could do. It seems helping the Moogle couple, thanks to Vivi's smart shopping, had been the only bright portion of their day in the moss filled grotto caverns. Moolges always seemed to overtake the unbearable dread in an area. Perhaps it came with their nature? While the others took a break, the restless thief knew not the meaning of relaxing. Idle hands soon found grip on an interesting twist of vines. They seemed to perfectly curl and twist up the walls. His eyes followed and soon he spied a skylight perfectly carved into the mouth of the ceiling. This had to be intentional. Even the thief had the sense to recognize the craftsmanship put into it. It was likely to help circulate air in the semi-subterranean passage.

With a flicker of his tail the thief hoisted himself up to test it out. He did not fall and it seemed to be naturally rooted into the stone walls. He dropped down, causing all present heads to turn to raised a questioning brow as she sat resting on some fallen sones. Her heart had been torn asunder by the turn of events, but she dare not sit by as nothing happened, even still she could not seem to raise herself from this place. The stillness and silent of the room had to be due to the Moogle's natural serenity. The dragoon raised her hand to brush a few strands of her white bangs from her eyes and peered through the eyeholes of her red cap. What was he up to?

Quina raised its head and looked their way. S/he had been forced to come about with them, so s/he was still a bit disinclined to really care about their actions, but the monkey-tailed boy had fed them a frog, so for now tehy were the provider when Quina could not catch its own food. The Gourmand-in-Training blinked its beady eyes and parted its wide, toothless mouth.

"What do?" The slushed out passed that thick, waving tongue. Freya held up her clawed hand to halt the young gourmand from approaching any further as Zidane seemed to continue inspecting his discovery like a child who has discovered the uses of fire on the fearsome baby spiders pervading his home.

Vivi, who had been crouched down in a corner, curiously inspected by Moguta, the young groom Moogle. He had been rather happy to have been fed a Kupo Nut by the young mage, but seeing as the young, black-faced boy pulled away from the others, it left the kupo nut chomper with great worry. A soft 'po' escaped Moguta who turned to the strange commotion. With a squeak the pink male would flail his tiny arms and inhale sharply as he jumped off the ground, as Moogles used inhaled air to help them float. His tiny wings flapped as he turned fully.

"It's dangerous outside, kupo!" He warned with a harsh squeak. Moogles had a strong sense of lie energy, so it was likely the newlywed male was correct, but Zidane had no understanding of Moogle magic, nor their touch for the energies that clearly flowed through the worlds.

The warning caused Vivi to raise his head. The young black mage was crouched, with his hands on his knees. He raised his hand to push back his straw hat only to spy Zidane half-way up the vine. Zidane looked back with his trademark grin.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" He assured. Freya knew those words and knew him! He would not 'be all right'! She knew that troublemaking monkey! Any time those words exited his mouth he would come back bruise, bloodied or with a broken bone! If he headed up here, out there, it would likely end in something far worse than a few scrapes and bruises!

She snapped her head up. "Wait Zidane, you fool!" She had to be strong with her words, otherwise he would carry no heed to her words. "Do you wish to get yourself ki- Vivi?" The nezumi's words were stuck in her throat when the young Black Mage waddled after the boy he looked up to. She reached out her hand, only to be shoved from behind by Quina. She looked back at Quina, a bit shocked.

It was hard to read the Qu's black expression. No facial features held by the semi-aquatic being held no reasonable measurement of emotion. "Why stand? He go. Move forward or move side!" The broken slurs and attempts to clearly speak the common tongue were a bit difficult to understand, but Freya took the Qu's harsh, brutish personality to heart.

Why did she simply stand there as her ally went forward? It was perhaps the most difficult thing to rush ahead. She knew though, that if she stood aside, she would miss everything. She nodded to the Qu's words of impatience, mistaking them for courage, and charged behind Vivi, grabbing her Partisan which lay against the wall. The Moogle couple nervously watched as they climbed up.

**~Popos Heights~**

Zidane was nearly blinded as he entered the strange forest. Light! They were on the top of the Mist and in the plateaus! Though they were surrounded by thick forest the light still penetrated the gnarls of branches and leaves. The thief heard his compatriots at his heels, so he took this chance to rush ahead and out of the forest into the warm sun. This was a great view! the entire ocean could be seen from here!

"Zidane, wait!" Freya called out as she rushed after him. Vivi was close behind the thief as he had been the first to reach him. Quina waddled along, seeming to taste something weird in the air with its tongue.

Suddenly a voracious roar filled the air and a mighty Dragon charged at the Thief when he attempted to leave the safety of the tree line.

"Whoa!" Zidane shouted as he tumbled back against Vivi, the both of them barreling into the woods again and landing at the Gourmand's and Dragoon's feet.

Through the brush the mighty dragon charged through Standing stories tall and a wingspan daring to challenge even the largest of Griffins the group had ever seen. Its body was a deep green, belly a ruby red indicating its health and virility. Zidane stood and helped Vivi to his feet, but before he could ask the young mage if he was alright Vivi was pushed into Quina with a soft sounding _umpph_.

"Freya!" Zidane called as he drew his daggers and rushed toward the Dragon.

The Dragon Knight rushed to his side, but before she could respond, Zidane was slashed across the chest by a deadly du-claw that adorned the side of the beast's foreclaw like a sickle. The slash ripped into the thief's white shirt and cut into his flesh. It as a knife to butter as the boy was thrown back by the sheer force. Blood rushed from his mouth as he tumbled to the ground. Quina looked down over the Mage's head.

"Zidane!" Vivi shouted in a panic as he rushed to the young blond. vivi dropped to his knees a moment, but began to shake as Zidane lay there with labored breathe bleeding profusely. "Quina help him! I'll help Freya!" The little boy tried to put on a brave face for the sake of this man he looked up to. "Ahhh!" He gripped his staff and rushed forward before he sent a mighty strike of thunder into the Dragon's flesh.

Quina reached into its pocket before grabbing the familiar warmth of a Phoenix's feather. He laid the holy object onto the wither if form of the boy. The mystic item slowly healed the surface wounds the thief suffered. He pushed to his feet, holding his pain-filled chest. Zidane looked up. The lighting summoned by the mage struck the Dragon's horns and rode down its body. The Dragon did not looked bothered by the attack at all, in fact it seemed pleased. Another roar ripped from its throat as electricity began to crackle around its body. Zidane shot up, but his weapons... His daggers were gone! They had been thrown out of his grip when he was attacked. He quickly searched the grass for them.

Freya's eyes widened as the tiny mage cowered at the incoming spell. "Vivi!" The dragoon recalled Quina's words. Moving forward was the only way. The Dragoon Knight jumped toward the dragon and held out her spear. The horrendous crackle of the static breaking the air currents struck with a deafening pop before the heavy **Thundaga** attack filled the air with its horrifying presence.

"NO!" Zidane charged forward. "Quina come on!" The boy raced ahead, praying to any that would listen, that his friends be okay! When the dust cleared Freya was left standing. The glistening gleam of her Thunder Ring had absorbed all of the elemental attack, much in the way the dragon had resisted theirs. Zidane's heart sank as he was filled with relief, but they were not out of danger just yet! The dragon struck Freya with its sickle and sent the Dragoon hurtling back into the waiting arms of their Frog-eating companion.

Quina squeezed its eyes closed before summoning a soothing White Wing, to heal the party of its current wounds. It was a trick s/he had learned after consuming its prey with great, sloppy vigor. It was something the party would never grow used to, but its unique ways often saved them from peril. Freya managed to stand, but she was shaky at best. Vivi was sobbing into his hands. The stress had finally claimed the little boy. Zidane mentally cursed. This had been his fault!

"Freya, go." Zidane ordered. The nezumi looked up, infuriated.

She shook her fist at him, her hat hiding the pained look on her face from her friend's constant switch between selfishness and selflessness. "This is no time to play hero!" She demanded him to make sense!

Zidane threw his hands into the air and shook his head. "Get outta here, you're the only one that can absorb that lightning right? Quina just used our only remaining down on me... One of us with sense has to get back down to the Moogles." Zidane had done a stupid thing... He led his friends into danger.

He was so useless. He had made hat kinda promise to her and he broke it. He promised to go on a date with Dagger, and failed to win the Festival Hunt. He promised he would kidnap her and had lost her in the Evil Forest. What kinda man was he?! He would fight off this beast, at least he would try and keep a promise to himself.

...He wanted to see her again.

Once again the Grand Dragon released a hideous roar and the lightning fell from the sky around Zidane. He squeezed his eyes closed and held out his daggers in preparation... but nothing came. he looked up and saw the familiar red of the surcoat before him. "F-freya?" He was shaking. He was about to die and could do nothing to save himself.

"You are so senseless at times!" She scolded. "But if you die here so foolishly, then how will you learn from it?" She smirked as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Get up and let us be done with this beast. I have to move forward, just as you must. Let us save my people Zidane - I ask for your help."

"Freya..." He pushed to stand and looked to his side as Quina walked up with Vivi on its head. The gourmand-in-training shook its fork angrily at the beast.

"It in way, move it!" The Qu demanded. It turned its head up to look at the small Mage. "Dragon not like cold, serve on ice!" The gourmand knew how to serve all sorts of dishes, and Tail of Dragon was always served best cold...

Vivi shakily nodded and raised his Oak Staff high in the air. "R-right... I call the blistering winds of winter to encircle down upon our enemy... **Blizzara**!" With the accumulation of the magical energy, the Dragon was struck with a frightening pain as the chilling ice ran through its veins.

Freya looked to Zidane and nodded. The thief smirked. "Let's kick it to the curb!" The bandit charged with greater confidence. He had to keep his own promise.

The Grand Dragon was slain, and the group rested in the room with the Moogles after. They were exhausted and blamed Zidane for the rest of the trip, but when they arrived to face Lord Gizmaluke's wrath, this time the tailed boy feigned innocence and the group knew exactly how to deal with the enraged Water Dragon...


End file.
